Monument record FSF 007 - Whittingham Hall (PMed)

Whittingham Hall is shown on a map of 1702 as standing in the middle of southern part of the large moated enclosure. House is shown as having a rectangular 5 bay front with three tiers of windows (the lowest tier are smaller and may represent a semi-basement), a central door, a small pediment at the top and four chimneys (S1). The style of the house would fit with a mid-C17 date. A moulded brick tablet with the date 1653 is built into the C19/C20 porch of the converted stable block (which is the present Hall) ont he W side of the forecourt in front of the moat. (The carved wooden door frame to the porch also appears to be mid-C17.) The brick date may have come fro elsewhere on the stable (the building is shown on the 1702 map) or perhaps form the demolished house. Both were probably built for Thomas Baker (circa 1606-1658) who succeeded his father in 1625, travelled extensively on the Continent in the 1630s, Sheriff of Suffolk 1657: 11 hearths recorded here in 1674, in the name of the Early of Norwich (Charles Goring 2nd Earl of Norwich, circa 1615-1671) who married Thomas Baker's widow (S2)(S3)(S4). The date of the demolition of the Hall is unknown, but house is shown on Emanuel Bowen's map of 1755 (S6) and `Wittingham Hall' is named on J Hodskinson's map of 1783 (S7) but it had gone by 1837 (S8). The stable block is a red brick building, two-storeyed, with projecting wings at each end with much rebuilt Dutch gables. On the main range are blocked ventilation holes - long slits with three circular holes. On the E side of the forecourt there is a timber-framed 8-bay barn (also shown on the 1702 map). See also Med.

Silver hawking vervel (SF-D2253D) was found whilst metal detecting. (S10, S11).